Editing Ralph Tsing


'''Ralph Tsing''' is a competitive [[paintball]] player from [[French Polynesia]], known for his international tournament career and involvement in the development of competitive paintball in Tahiti.

Tsing has competed in Asia, New Zealand and Australia, representing Tahitian squads including [[Phoenix Tahiti]] and guesting for established overseas teams such as Manawatu Titans, Expendables and Sydney SWAT.

In October 2022, he was named best player at the Super 7's Paintball Series Planet Eclipse Open in Sydney, Australia, while competing with the New Zealand professional team Manawatu Titans. [1]

He has also represented French Polynesia as an Air Tahiti Nui sporting ambassador, with the airline supporting his participation in international competitions. [2]

== Paintball career ==

=== Early career in French Polynesia ===

Tsing developed his competitive paintball career in Tahiti, where organised speedball competitions were held under local clubs and associations.

He became associated with Phoenix Tahiti, a competitive team established in 2009 by three friends who sought to bring together players from different teams.

Surviving competitor identification cards from 2012 identify Tsing as a registered competitor with Papara Paintball, an association active in French Polynesia.

The cards bear the branding of the Fédération de Paintball and document organised local competition during this period.

Tsing subsequently became one of the most frequently documented Tahitian players participating internationally, appearing in tournaments across Asia and Oceania.

=== World Cup Asia 2011 ===

Tsing participated in the 2011 Paintball World Cup Asia in Langkawi, Malaysia, with a Tahitian squad registered as Fei Pi 1923.

The team appeared in pre-tournament announcements as Team Fei-Pi-Tahiti. [3]

The identified squad included Ralph Tsing, Tafai Rai, Christian Veroux, Alexis Holman, Bryce Carpentier and Josh Alvarado.

Competing in Division 1, the team finished 19th in the World Cup Asia standings and 22nd in the overall 2011 Paintball Asia League Series Division 1 rankings. [4]

The event is one of the earliest documented international tournament appearances in Tsing's career.

=== Tahitian Legion, New Zealand 2012 ===

In 2012, Tsing competed in New Zealand at the second event of the New Zealand Paintball Players League season, held in Hāwera, Taranaki.

The Tahitian squad competed under the name Tahitian Legion, appearing as Tahiti on the original tournament scoreboard.

Contemporary photographs identify Tsing wearing jersey number 27.

Other identified players were Mani Voirin, Christian Veroux, Keke Brodien and Manaurii Bousquet, alongside New Zealand guest player Shane Gallagher.

The original scoreboard records Tahiti in fourth position after seven scoring rounds, with 329 points.

The team was scheduled to face Tiger Blood in the third-place playoff, although the final result has not been established.

The event represents an early documented example of Tsing's participation in New Zealand tournament paintball.

=== World Cup Asia 2012 ===

Tsing returned to Malaysia for the 2012 Paintball World Cup Asia in Langkawi.

He competed in Division 2 with Phoenix Authority, an international squad assembled from Tahitian players and overseas teammates.

A contemporary report in La Dépêche de Tahiti identified the squad as comprising three Tahitian players, one New Zealander, one Australian and two Malaysian players. [5]

The reported roster was:

* Ralph Tsing (Tahiti)
* Christian Veroux (Tahiti)
* Moana Le Foc (Tahiti)
* Michael Earley (New Zealand)
* Tim Matthee (Australia)
* Badman Bud (Malaysia)
* Ku Zambree (Malaysia)

Phoenix Authority finished 17th among 28 Division 2 teams.

The original tournament scoreboard records the team finishing the preliminary stage with 2.5 competition points, nine sets won and 12 lost.

The tournament marked another appearance by Tsing with a multinational squad competing under a Tahitian team identity.

=== World Cup Asia 2013 ===

Tsing competed at the 2013 NAZA World Cup Asia in Langkawi, Malaysia, under the Phoenix Tahiti name.

The team entered Division 3.

The six-player squad consisted of:

* Ralph Tsing (Tahiti)
* Ku Zambree (Malaysia)
* Moana Le Foc (Tahiti)
* Sasha Dworatschek (Germany)
* Mando Hazree (Malaysia)
* Michael Earley (New Zealand)

The lineup combined returning members of the 2012 international squad with additional players from Malaysia and Germany.

Phoenix Tahiti finished 47th among 54 Division 3 entrants at World Cup Asia.

The team was also ranked 57th in the overall 2013 PALS Division 3 season standings. [6]

=== International participation during the 2010s ===

Tsing continued to participate in international paintball during the following years.

His competitive activities were recognised in a 2016 Tahiti Infos interview with sporting sponsors Jeffry and Priscille Yersin, which identified Tsing among the athletes they supported. [7]

His involvement with Phoenix Tahiti included helping assemble teams for international competitions and maintaining contacts with players from New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia.

=== World Cup Asia 2017 ===

In November 2017, Tsing returned to World Cup Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

He participated alongside fellow Tahitian Torea Adams in a combined Tahitian and Malaysian team competing under the Phoenix Tahiti name, also registered as Phoenix Tahiti Aisawan.

The team finished fifth among 16 Division 3 entrants.

Phoenix Tahiti placed second in its preliminary group before advancing to the second round, where it finished first in Group Z after winning all six sets.

The team was eliminated by Order 66 in the quarterfinals, losing by two sets to one.

The result received coverage in La Dépêche de Tahiti on 15 November 2017. [8]

The newspaper reported that financial limitations prevented a complete Tahitian squad from travelling to the event.

Tsing and Adams therefore joined Malaysian players to form a combined team for the competition.

Tsing regarded the fifth-place result positively, particularly because the players had not previously trained together as a squad.

== Competition with New Zealand teams ==

=== Manawatu Titans ===

Tsing has competed with the New Zealand team Manawatu Titans, including appearances in New Zealand and the Australian professional paintball circuit.

In a 2022 interview with Tahiti Infos, Tsing explained that he had previously joined the Manawatu Titans for a round of a New Zealand championship in 2020.

According to his account, the team won that event. [1]

The connection led to further international opportunities.

On 8 September 2022, Tsing was contacted by Manawatu Titans and invited to join the squad for the third round of the Australian Super 7's Paintball Series.

The invitation marked his first documented participation in the Australian professional division.

=== Super 7's Planet Eclipse Open 2022 ===

In October 2022, Tsing travelled to Sydney to represent Manawatu Titans at the Super 7's Paintball Series Planet Eclipse Open.

The competition featured nine professional teams.

Manawatu Titans completed the preliminary stage with six victories and two draws, qualifying second for the semifinals.

The team faced Sydney SWAT in the semifinals.

After a closely contested match, Manawatu Titans lost 4-3 in overtime.

The team subsequently faced Eastside Raw in the third-place playoff, again losing 4-3.

Manawatu Titans finished fourth overall.

Despite the team's fourth-place finish, Tsing was selected as the tournament's best player.

The individual award attracted coverage in French Polynesia, particularly because Tsing had not competed regularly during the preceding year due to a lack of available paintball training facilities in Tahiti. [1]

The 2022 tournament was also notable as Tsing's first appearance in the Australian professional division.

=== Expendables and the New Zealand Race Series 2023 ===

In 2023, Tsing joined the New Zealand team Expendables for events in the New Zealand Race Series.

At the opening round in April 2023, held in Auckland, Tsing finished third with Expendables.

The event involved seven teams.

His fellow Tahitian player Kevin Brodien competed with Ballistics Unit, which won the event.

The two Tahitian players faced each other during the elimination stages.

The results received coverage from Tahiti Nui Télévision, which identified Tsing as an Expendables player and Brodien as a Ballistics Unit player. [9]

Tsing subsequently participated in the second round of the 2023 series with Expendables.

In an October 2023 interview with Air Tahiti Nui, he confirmed that he had played the first two rounds of the season with Expendables.

Expendables went on to win both the final event and the season championship. [2]

=== Phoenix Tahiti at the 2023 New Zealand Race Series ===

For the final round of the 2023 New Zealand Race Series, Tsing returned to competition under the Phoenix Tahiti name.

The event was held at Arena Paintball in Feilding, New Zealand, in October 2023.

At the invitation of organiser David Hopkins, Tsing assembled a team representing French Polynesia.

The squad included:

* Ralph Tsing (Tahiti)
* Torea Adams (Tahiti)
* Steven Wong (Tahiti)
* Emrick Amaru (Tahiti)
* Kevin Brodien (Tahiti)
* Brandon Miller (Australia)
* Jarryd Fouche (South Africa)

Phoenix Tahiti completed the preliminary stage with six victories, one draw and one defeat.

In the semifinals against Ballistics Unit, Phoenix Tahiti recovered from a 2-0 deficit to lead 3-2 before the match finished 3-3 in regulation time.

Ballistics Unit won the sudden-death point.

Phoenix Tahiti subsequently defeated the Charcharodons 3-0 in the third-place playoff.

The team finished third among nine participating teams.

Expendables defeated Ballistics Unit 3-0 in the final to win the event.

The result received coverage from Air Tahiti Nui, which published an interview with Tsing on 31 October 2023. [2]

Tsing reported having achieved five podium finishes in five competitions during the year up to that point, with another Australian tournament scheduled for November.

The individual results of all five competitions have not been independently reconstructed.

== Competition with Australian teams ==

=== Sydney SWAT ===

Tsing has also been associated with Sydney SWAT, an Australian competitive paintball team participating in the Super 7's Paintball Series.

In August 2024, Tahiti Nui Télévision identified Tsing as a member of Sydney SWAT in a report examining the lack of sporting infrastructure in French Polynesia. [10]

The report establishes his association with the Australian squad by that date.

The precise date of his first tournament appearance for Sydney SWAT and his complete event results with the team have not yet been established.

His association with Sydney SWAT followed his earlier Australian professional appearance with Manawatu Titans in October 2022, when he competed against Sydney SWAT in the semifinals.

== Paintball development in French Polynesia ==

=== Loss of local training facilities ===

Tsing has spoken publicly about the difficulties faced by competitive paintball players in French Polynesia.

According to a 2024 Tahiti Nui Télévision report, Tahiti previously had approximately 100 registered paintball players and a local federation organising four or five championships annually. [10]

In 2012, access to paintball fields in Mahina, Papara, Punaauia and Mataiea was withdrawn.

The loss of these facilities caused a substantial decline in local organised paintball activity.

Tsing described the sudden closure of the fields as a major setback for the sport.

Players subsequently used a smaller training area at Punaruu, but that location also became unavailable in 2022.

The lack of a permanent training ground increasingly required Tahitian competitors to travel overseas to participate in organised competitive paintball.

=== International competition and player development ===

Despite the difficulties affecting local paintball infrastructure, Tsing continued competing internationally.

His activities included representing Tahitian teams, guesting for New Zealand and Australian squads, and assembling mixed-nationality rosters for tournaments.

His international participation also created opportunities for other Tahitian players.

The 2023 New Zealand Race Series provided an example of this activity, with Tsing organising a Phoenix Tahiti squad containing four other Tahitian players, several of whom were making their first international tournament appearances.

Tsing's activities have been supported by Air Tahiti Nui through its sporting ambassador programme.

== Teams ==

The following teams have been documented in Tsing's competitive career.

{| class="wikitable"
! Team
! Country or territory
! Documented association
|-
| Fei Pi 1923
| French Polynesia
| World Cup Asia 2011
|-
| Tahitian Legion
| French Polynesia
| NZPPL Event 2, Hāwera 2012
|-
| Phoenix Authority
| French Polynesia
| World Cup Asia 2012
|-
| Phoenix Tahiti
| French Polynesia
| World Cup Asia 2013 and later competitions
|-
| Phoenix Tahiti Aisawan
| French Polynesia / Malaysia
| World Cup Asia 2017
|-
| Manawatu Titans
| New Zealand
| 2020 New Zealand competition and 2022 Australian Super 7's
|-
| Expendables
| New Zealand
| New Zealand Race Series 2023
|-
| Sydney SWAT
| Australia
| Documented team association by August 2024
|}

The list includes tournament-specific teams and guest appearances. It should not be interpreted as evidence of continuous membership in every team named.

== Selected tournament results ==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Team
! Competition
! Location
! Result
|-
| 2011
| Fei Pi 1923
| World Cup Asia, Division 1
| Malaysia
| 19th
|-
| 2012
| Tahitian Legion
| NZPPL Event 2
| New Zealand
| Third-place playoff, final result unconfirmed
|-
| 2012
| Phoenix Authority
| World Cup Asia, Division 2
| Malaysia
| 17th of 28
|-
| 2013
| Phoenix Tahiti
| World Cup Asia, Division 3
| Malaysia
| 47th of 54
|-
| 2017
| Phoenix Tahiti Aisawan
| World Cup Asia, Division 3
| Malaysia
| 5th of 16
|-
| 2020
| Manawatu Titans
| New Zealand championship event
| New Zealand
| 1st, reported by Tsing
|-
| 2022
| Manawatu Titans
| Super 7's Planet Eclipse Open, Professional
| Australia
| 4th, tournament best player
|-
| 2023
| Expendables
| New Zealand Race Series, opening round
| New Zealand
| 3rd
|-
| 2023
| Expendables
| New Zealand Race Series, second round
| New Zealand
| Appearance confirmed, placing unverified
|-
| 2023
| Phoenix Tahiti
| New Zealand Race Series, final round
| New Zealand
| 3rd of 9
|}

The table includes selected appearances verified through published reports, historical tournament records and contemporary photographic evidence. It is not an exhaustive record of Tsing's competitive career.

== Recognition ==

Tsing's achievements have received coverage in French Polynesian media, including Tahiti Infos, Tahiti Nui Télévision, La Dépêche de Tahiti and Air Tahiti Nui.

His documented individual recognition includes the best-player award at the 2022 Super 7's Planet Eclipse Open in Sydney.

His competitive career has also been recognised through the Air Tahiti Nui ambassador programme.

== References ==

# [https://www.tahiti-infos.com/As-de-la-gachette-le-Tahitien-Ralph-Tsing-brille-en-Australie_a212439.html Collignon, Philippe. "As de la gâchette, le Tahitien Ralph Tsing brille en Australie." Tahiti Infos, 10 October 2022.] Detailed report on Manawatu Titans, the 2022 Super 7's tournament, individual award and 2020 New Zealand appearance.
# [https://pf.airtahitinui.com/actualites/ambassador/paintball-ralph-tsing-enchaine-les-bons-resultats "Paintball : Ralph Tsing enchaine les bons résultats." Air Tahiti Nui, 31 October 2023.] Interview documenting Expendables, Phoenix Tahiti, the 2023 New Zealand Race Series and Tsing's international activities.
# [https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/2018461/all Allan Phang. Paintball World Cup Asia 2011 registration announcements, 24 September 2011.] Contemporary reference identifying Team Fei-Pi-Tahiti.
# Paintball Asia League Series. "Division 1: 2011 Ranking." Original season standings supplied to WikiPaintball.
# La Dépêche de Tahiti. "Une honorable 17e place." 4 December 2012. Contemporary report identifying the Phoenix Authority squad and its World Cup Asia result.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/qnCyzgX5g4pCgeVT PBLeagues: Phoenix Tahiti Aisawan.] Historical tournament registration and results.
# [https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Focus-sur-Jeffry-et-Priscille-Yersin-sponsors-de-sportifs-Interviews_a145600.html Tahiti Infos. "Focus sur Jeffry et Priscille Yersin, sponsors de sportifs." 2016.] Interview identifying support for Ralph Tsing's overseas paintball participation.
# Pereyre-Gobrait, Vaitiare. "Cinquième place pour le team Tahiti-Malaisie." La Dépêche de Tahiti, 15 November 2017, p. 34.
# [https://www.tntvnews.pf/sports/paint-ball-les-tahitiens-brillent-en-nouvelle-zelande/ Tahiti Nui Télévision. "Paint-Ball : Les Tahitiens brillent en Nouvelle-Zélande." 20 April 2023.] Report on Ralph Tsing with Expendables and Kevin Brodien with Ballistics Unit.
# [https://www.tntvnews.pf/sports/les-associations-sportives-en-mal-dinfrastructures/ Tahiti Nui Télévision. "Les associations sportives en mal d'infrastructures." 30 August 2024.] Report on the loss of Tahitian paintball facilities, identifying Tsing as a Sydney SWAT member.

== See also ==

* [[Phoenix Tahiti]]
* [[Paintball in French Polynesia]]
* [[Paintball Asia League Series]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]]
* [[Super 7's Paintball Series]]

== External links ==

* [https://www.facebook.com/phoenixauthority/ Phoenix Tahiti Paintball on Facebook]
* [https://pbleagues.com/team/qnCyzgX5g4pCgeVT Phoenix Tahiti Aisawan on PBLeagues]

[[Category:Paintball players]]
[[Category:Paintball in French Polynesia]]